Folding table



July 7, 1942.

P. FAG; 2,288,737

FOLDING TABLE Filed Jan. 9, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 P. PAGE FOLDING TABLEJuly. 7, 1942.

Filed Jan. 9, 1940 4 .vheets-Sheei July 7, 1942.

FOLDING TABLE Filed Jan. 9, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet s F151; r' l P. PAGE 7July 7, 1942.

FOLDING TABLE Filed Jan. 9 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 P. PAGE 2,288,737

Patented July 7, 1942 ,j

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDING. TABLE Park hurs t Page, Shrewsbury,Mass. Application January 9, 1940, Serial No. 313,094

1 7 Claims.

This invention relates to folding card or cook-- tail tables and toother similar tables of relatively small size and light weight.

It is the general object of my present invention to provide a foldingtable having improved means to firmly support the table when in use, andconveniently foldable when the table is not in use. I

A further object is to provide a table in which the unfolding movementof the supporting means is at least semi-automatic. I also provide anall-metal construction of supporting means, which may be easily andeconomically manufactured, and which is well adapted for production inquantity.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be herein after described and more particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

Two forms of my invention are shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 isa front elevation of one form of my improved table;

Fig. 2 is ,an end view thereof, looking in the direction of the arrow 2in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional end. elevation, taken along the line 4-4in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts in foldedposition;

Fig. 6 is a partial plan view, looking in the direction of the arrow 6in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an exploded sectional view, taken along the line 'I'! in Fig.6;

Fig. 8 is a partial bottom view of a transverse bar;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view, looking in the direction of the arrow9 in Fig. 1; v

Fig. 10 is a sectional end elevation of a slightly modifiedconstruction;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a modified transverse bar made of wire rod;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow l2 inFig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a modified keeper member made of wire rod;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow 14 inFig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a partial side elevation showing the manner of assembling thewire bar and wire keeper member;

Fig. 16 is a partial sectional side elevation bar of the secondmodification and shown in Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a partial side elevation, looking in the direction of thearrow l8 in Fig. 17; and

Fig. 19 is a partial side elevation of the keeper member shown in Fig.16.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 9, my improved table comprises a top 20 andsupporting means therefor comprising two rectangular frame members 2]and 22 having their side portions connected by pivot studs 23. The top20 is prefsimilar to Fig. 4 but showing an additional modifiedconstruction;

Fig. 17 is'a partial plan view of the transverse erably formed from asingle piece of suitable sheet material, as fibre, composition, glass ormetal. The frame members 21 and 22 are preferably made of drawn metalrod or tubing, with the ends welded, crimped or otherwise securedtogether to form continuous structures.

Transverse flat bars 30 underlie the top 2|] and are provided withupwardly and inwardly curved end portions 3| which grip the edges of pthe top. If preferred, one or both ends of the transverse bars may beformed as shown in Fig. 10, where the bar 30 is providedwith adownwardly projecting loop 32 and with the free end thereof forming anoffset flange or shoulder 33. This modified construction providesdesired resilience to take care of slight variations in the Width of thetop 20*,

A keeper plate 35 is provided for each transverse bar 30 or 30 The bodyportion of the plate 35 is spaced below the bar 3|] sufficiently toprovide a recess 36 for the horizontal top portions 31 and 38 of theframe members 2| and 22. The right-hand end of the plate 35 (as viewedin Fig. 4) is bent upward and outward to provide a flange 40, and theleft-hand end is bent downward in the form of a loop 4| (Fig. 7) andthen upward and outward to provide a flange 42.

Clips 44 are welded or otherwise secured to the lowersurface of the bar30 or 30* and their inner ends are offset downward to provide pockets orrecesses 43 to receive the end flanges 40 and 42 of the keeper plates 35when the plates are snapped into place. The clips 44 are preferablysomewhat wider than the transverse bars, and the inner free cornersthereof are offset as indicated at 46 to prevent lateral displacement ofthe keeper plates 35.

The loop portions 4| of the keeper plates receive the horizontal topportions 31 and 38 of the frame members 21 and 22 when the table isfolded, as shown in Fig. 5, and provide clearance between said topportions, so that fingers may not be pinched as the parts are folded,

The frame member 22 is provided with wire loops 48, secured to thehorizontal top portion 38 thereof and serving to prevent said topportion 38 from moving to the right (Fig. 4) with the portion 31 whenthe table is being opened. The loops 48 also prevent lateral shifting ofthe frame members 2| and 22 to the right or left relative to the bars 30and top 26, as viewed in Fig. 1.

I also preferably provide a spring as 50 (Fig. 9), loosely supported onone of the pivot studs 23 and having its ends engaging the upperportions of the frame members 2| and 22. The action of the spring is topress the upper portions of the frame members apart automatically, or atleast semi-automatically, when the table is being opened and set up foruse. The addition of this spring 50 permits a waiter to easily open andset up a table with one hand, while holding a tray in his other hand.

With the construction described, I am able to use relatively light stockfor the transverse bars 30 and keeper plates 35, as downward pressure onthe table merely forces the end fianges 40 and 42 of the keeper platesmore firmly into the pockets 43 formed by the clips 44. The clips 44 arefirmly secured to the straight transverse bars 39, so that there is noresilient element between the clips 44 which can be made to yield bydownward pressure on the table.

It will also be noted that all parts of my improved construction are ofsimple form and easily manufactured, so that the table is veryeconomical to build.

In Figs. 11 to 15 I have shown a modified construction of transverse bar60 and keeper member BI. The bar 60 is preferably formed of two bentwire end elements 62 and 63 having their inner ends joined by weldingattachment to a rectangular wire frame 64. The ends of the elements 62and 63 are bent upward and offset to provide portions to grip the edgesof the table top and may be either in the simpler form shown at 65 or inthe more resilient form shown at 66. Cross bars Bl are welded below theelements 62 and 63 for a purpose to be described.

The keeper members 6| are similarly formed of bent wire end elements andH, the element NJ having an upwardly and outwardly bent portion '12 andthe element II having a downwardly looped and outwardly bent portion 13,these parts corresponding to the flanges 40 and 42 in the constructionpreviously described. The ele ments 10 and H are secured together bywelding to a rectangular ring 14 and are provided with cross bars 75.

These bars 60 and keeper members 6| are assembled as indicated in Fig.by hooking the bent end portions 12 and 13 of each keeper member 6| overthe cross rods 6'! of the associated transverse bar 66. The table topand the supporting frame members 2! and 22 will be the same as in theform previously described, and this form of my invention also possessesthe.advantages in use and manufacture which have been previously pointedout.

In the form of my invention shown in Figs. 16 to 19, the keeper member80 is formed as a single continuous bent wire member, and the cross bars3! of the associated wire transverse bar 82 are formed with offsetcurved portions ;83 to receive the ends ,of :the keeper member andprevent lateral displacement thereof. This simpler keeper memberinvolves no welding and may accordingly be formed of more resilientStock.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. A folding table comprising a substantially rigid one-piece top madeof stiff sheet material, supporting bars engaging the under side of saidtop and embracing opposite edges thereof, a supporting structure forsaid table comprising two rectangular crossed frame members pivotedtogether near the centers of the sides thereof, and keeper members forthe upper horizontal portions of said crossed frame members, each keepermember having its ends offset upwardly with respect to its middleportion and again bent outward and positioned above fixed portions ofits associated supporting bar, and said keeper member being yieldinglyretained in assembled relation.with said bar by the inherentlongitudinal resilience of said keeper member.

2- The com nati n i a folding abl s s orth. i c ai n wh h t e eepe m mare spaced from the supporting bars to provide transverse recesses forthe upper portions of said crossed frame members, and in which a part ofeach keeper member adjacent one end thereof is additionally bentdownward to provide a loop to receive the said upper portions of saidcross frame members when the table is folded.

3. A folding table comprising a substantially rigid one-piece top madeof sheet material, supporting bar engaging the under side of said topand embracing opposit edges thereof, clips secured to the underside ofsaid bars to provide pockets opening towards each other, a supportingstructure for said table comprising two rectangular crossed framemembers pivoted together near the centers of the sides thereof,andkeeper plates for the upper horizontal portions of said crossed framemembers, each keeper plate having its ends offset upwardly with respectto its middle portion and again bent outward and said ends beinginserted in the pockets of the associated supporting bar and beingyieldingly retained therein by the inherent longitudinal resilience ofsaid keeper plate.

4. The combination in a folding table as set forth in claim 3, in whichthe free corners of said clips are offset upward to form abutments andthus prevent lateral displacement of said keeper p a t r 5. A foldingtab-lecomprising a substantially rigid one-piece top made of stiff sheetmaterial, supporting bars engaging the under side of said top andembracing opposite edges thereof, a supporting structure for said tablecomprising two rectangular crossed frame members pivoted together nearthe centers of the sides thereof, and keeper members for the upperhorizontal portions of said crossed frame members, each keeper memberhaving its ends offset upwardly with respect to its middle portion andagain bent outward and said ends being det aehably engaged above fi ptions of the associa edsupportine bar and bein ieldlingly retainedtherein by the inherent longitudinal resilience of said keeper member,and said transverse bars and keeper members being formed entirely ofwirerod.

he ombi a ion i a o din a l as set forth in claim 5, in which the keepermember is a single elongated wire element, ,all parts of .Whichare in asin le plane.

7. A folding table comprising a substantially rigid one-piece top madeof sheet material, supporting barsengaging the undersideof said top andembracing opposite edges thereof, a supporting structure for said tablecomprising two rectangular crossed frame members pivoted together nearthe centers of the sides thereof, and keeper members for the upperhorizontal portions of said crossed frame members, each keeper memberhaving its ends offset upwardly with respect to its middle portion andagain bent outward and said ends being inserted between and. above fixedportions of its associated supporting bar and being yieldingly retainedtherein by the inherent longitudinal resilience of said keeper member,

' and each transverse bar and keeper member comprising bent wireelements rigidly secured together in their middle portions.

PARKHURST PAGE.

